Cricket West Indies CEO: For Tests to thrive, India have a leadership role to play

Test cricket is currently at risk, and according to Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave, India hold a vital responsibility in ensuring the survival and prosperity of the five-day game, especially in smaller cricketing regions like the West Indies.

Grave, who has been with CWI since 2017, praised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their steadfast support of Test cricket, despite their demanding schedule. However, he stressed on the need for more action at the international level by the ICC to safeguard Test cricket outside the dominant trio of India, England, and Australia.

In the upcoming 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, only the big three will participate in a five-match series, excluding other full members such as Ireland, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe.

Grave, currently focused on co-hosting the T20 World Cup, expressed his thoughts on the future of the game and highlighted the crucial role he believes the BCCI should play in protecting Test cricket.

“India have a leadership role to play. They’re now the number one board when it comes to power, influence, and resources. To date, they’ve been fantastic in how they’ve continued to play all three formats of the game, their commitment to Test cricket. I don’t think it has ever been as strong as it is now,” said Grave.

With the ICC being a members’ body, BCCI’s stance on a subject carries extra significance. Are they doing enough in the leadership role?

“I think they are. They’re becoming increasingly influential in the key decisions that the ICC makes. The BCCI were hugely supportive in one of the biggest things the ICC have achieved in the last 12 months, which is getting cricket back into the Olympics.

“The fact that India came on board and supported that bid was absolutely, in my opinion, crucial for the result that the ICC got, which was the acceptance of cricket into the LA Games.

“And we’re already seeing from the associate world in particular, that being an Olympic sport has a very big impact on them positively in terms of how they can get money from government, get money from the Olympic associations to drive the game at all levels,” he said referring to the sport’s return to the Summer Games after 128 years.

‘Centralise travel costs and accommodation’

India have visited the West Indies thrice in the last five years, providing a massive financial boost to the CWI, which depends on media rights money from Indian and English broadcasters.

As things stand, series in the WTC cycle are staged like bilateral rubbers with the home board taking the broadcast revenues and the visitors paying for their own travel.

Grave wants the ICC to centralise the travel costs as the West Indies have to spend the most in crisscrossing the world.

“We have to have a league mentality that we’re all in it together as the Test playing nations. And I think the World Test Championship is a start to that. I think it’s gaining some momentum. I think it can be improved.

“Centralise flights and accommodation within the World Test Championship and take on those costs as the costs of the league rather than placing all that burden on the participating teams as we’re so negatively disadvantaged by that,” said the CWI CEO.